


Diminuendo

by being_alive



Series: what happens on the gration (stays on the gration) [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Regula Lives, F/M, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Fluff and Angst, Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Older Man/Younger Woman, POV Third Person, Suggestive Themes, because if SE won't love him I will, this is set post-Stormblood but pre-4.1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:35:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29124282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/being_alive/pseuds/being_alive
Summary: "Regula," she says as she enters, shutting the door quietly behind her. The sound of music stops as he sets her harp aside and stands."You have certainly kept yourself busy in the time since your last visit, Tilla," Regula begins, sounding both faintly amused and obviously annoyed.
Relationships: Regula van Hydrus/Warrior of Light
Series: what happens on the gration (stays on the gration) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2051424
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	Diminuendo

**Author's Note:**

> _slaps the roof of fic_ This baby can fit so much self-indulgence in it.

Ala Mhigo is free, and yet Tilla finds herself feeling strangely melancholic. Her grandparents were from Ala Mhigo, even if her mother was born in Ilsabard, but where there should be pride there is only a vague feeling of emptiness. She sings with the resistance the song of their freedom, but in the days that follow she cannot shake the feeling that she is not wholly welcome. There's too much guilt on her part, guilt for the father she never knew and guilt for the lover she chose. So she waits in Ala Mhigo as long as she can bear and then teleports to the place where she knows she is welcome, and stone buildings give way to the gold and green of Azys Lla. 

Tilla takes a deep breath, tasting the faint and familiar metallic tang of the air, and then summons a mount at random before taking off for the _Gration_. The flight is one she's made many times by now, so it seems to hardly take any time at all before she reaches her destination. Some of Regula's men greet her warmly, while others look away. Even this is no different than the usual, and she boards the _Gration_ and continues through its halls without issue.

It is the sound of music that greets her as she opens the door to Regula's quarters. He sits inside, fully armored except for his helmet and gauntlets, fingers dancing along the strings of the harp she'd left behind on what was supposed to be her definite escape from the _Gration_ , however many moons ago that was.

"Regula," she says as she enters, shutting the door quietly behind her. The sound of music stops as he sets her harp aside and stands. 

"You have certainly kept yourself busy in the time since your last visit, Tilla," Regula begins, sounding both faintly amused and obviously annoyed.

"Well, in my defense," Tilla starts, but trails off. She scuffs the toe of her shoe against the floor and looks briefly away from him before continuing, "We did agree to not tell one another about our respective dealings for the sake of neutrality."

Regula's gaze sharpens as he crosses his arms and replies, "The crown prince is dead and the empire has lost two territories. I would argue that you and I are far past neutrality by now."

"Without even getting into our own personal clashes, you killed Ysayle, wanted to slaughter the Zundu, and tried to shoot down the airship on which my friends and family stood, some of whom you wouldn't be alive today without!" Tilla fires back, before sighing and asking, "Besides, if this all meant so much to you, why weren't you there?"

Something in Regula's jaw tightens before he explains, voice low with forced calmness, "Varis ordered me to remain in Azys Lla. There was little love lost between the Emperor and his son, and my loyalties lie with the former."

Tilla laughs, the sound sharp and harsh even to her own ears, and says, "So instead you chose to do nothing except remain here, hundreds of malms away, all the while happily fucking the very person responsible for sabotaging the Empire's works."

Regula glares at her, hand moving as if to draw his blade before falling just as swiftly down to his side. He reaches up again, but this time pinches the bridge of his nose instead, as he retorts, "I did as I was ordered to by my emperor."

"Oh, my mistake! I wasn't aware that spending hours with your face buried in my cunt was an official order," Tilla snaps back, crossing and then uncrossing her arms as she shifts her weight from one foot to the other, hands clenching into fists at her sides. She knows she shouldn't have said that, but it's too late now so she simply says nothing else afterwards. They stare at each, wide yellowish-green eyes boring into narrowed blue ones, at a standstill before he finally says, looking away, "I should deliver you personally to the capital in payment for what you have destroyed."

"But you won't?" Tilla asks, taking a step forward and looking at him curiously. Regula drags a hand across his face, from third eye to chin, and sighs. He replies, and then trails off, "No. I could not live with myself if I did so. We stand on opposite sides, and yet..."

"And yet," she finishes for him, softly, "I fell in love with you nonetheless."

"And I with you," Regula says, sighing once more. She reaches for him with hands bruised blue and his face softens as he embraces her. They fall to their knees together, pressed as tightly together as possible, and tears come unwittingly to her eyes. Regula strokes her hair as she sobs against his shoulder, tears overflowing from her eyes and onto his armor. 

It's not the most comfortable position, but she finds that in this moment, she doesn't really care, even as the ache in her hands begins to become more noticeable as her fingers grip tight at his armor. All that matters is here and now and _him_. Eventually, her sobs stop and she pulls away just slightly to wipe at her eyes and nose. 

Regula's hands move to rub comforting circles against her sides, and then drop lower to rest on the curve of her hips. She turns her head slightly and presses a kiss to the skin just above his collar. His hands stroke over her hips, fingers warm against her even through her clothes. She kisses him again, and he makes a small noise in the back of his throat before asking, "May I?"

"Please," she says, unashamed of the need in her voice. He undoes her belt and her baghnakhs clatter noisily to the floor. 

_Good_ , she thinks, as she pushes the gunblade from his back in turn. Let neither Ala Mhigo nor Garlemald have a place here, and let it just be two people by the names of _Tilla_ and _Regula_ , _Blackwoode_ and _van Hydrus_ be damned. He traces the tattoo on her cheek with one hand while the other dips into the front of her pantalettes. It's been so long since she was last here with him, like this, that she can't help but to cry out at the slightest touch. 

Regula silences her with a kiss, mouth moving against hers, near in tandem with the slick hand rubbing against her. She comes with his hand between her legs, but when she tries to reach for the front of his breeches, Regula simply shakes his head. She can see the hard length of him contained within the dark fabric before he swiftly stands and rearranges his belt to cover it. In one quick movement, he wipes his hand off on his thigh and then assists her in standing. He leaves her, but briefly, and returns to her with a roll of bandages in hand.

"Here, Tilla," Regula says, gently taking her hand in his. He helps her wrap both of her hands and then guides her to his bed. Tilla rolls to her side, hands clutched to her chest, and listens to the sound of his armor being removed and set to the side before the bed dips under his weight as he crawls in behind her. 

Regula presses in tight behind her, stripped down to his underclothes, one hand trailing up her side and down her arm until it rests atop one of hers. She turns one hand away from the other, ignoring the dull ache radiating from her knuckles, and intertwines her fingers with his. Tilla falls asleep to the sound of his humming, slow and sweet, and with the traces of a smile on her face.

**Author's Note:**

> A few context notes because what even is writing in order: these are all set in a multi-WOL canon (the vaguely-mentioned 'friends'), and it's thanks to what's essentially a tank swap from one of them that Regula survives the encounter with Zurvan. Regula remains stationed in Azys Lla following this, until roughly around the time Shadowbringers starts. Tilla continues seeing him during the time and, well, _feelings._  
>    
> ~~Also, since Tilla's last name is mentioned in here, I'd like to say hi from Zalera.~~


End file.
